Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Deped Child Protection Policy
Deped Child Protection Policy
Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Unit
Regional Secretary, ARMM
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Chiefs of Divisions
Heads, Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned
For the information and guidance of all concerned, the Department of Education
(DepEd) issues the enclosed copy of the Policy and Guidelines on Protecting Children in
School from Abuse, Violence, Exploitation, Discrimination, Bullying and Other Forms of
Abuse entitled “DepEd Child Protection Policy.”
Pursuant to Section 26 thereof, this DepEd Order shall take effect immediately upon
issuance.
All Orders, Memoranda and other related issuances inconsistent with these policy and
guidelines are deemed amended accordingly upon its effectivity.
Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Short Title
This Department Order shall be known as the “DepEd Child Protection Policy.”
The Constitution further provides that all educational institutions shall inculcate
patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights,
appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country,
teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values,
develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative
thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and promote vocational
efficiency. (Article XIV, Section 3 [2]).
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) aims to protect children from all forms
of physical or mental violence, injury and abuse, neglect or negligent treatment,
maltreatment and exploitation, including sexual abuse. The same Convention
establishes the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right
progressively, and on the basis of equal opportunity, it obliges the government to take
measures to encourage regular attendance in school and reduce dropout rates. Thus, it
is mandated that all appropriate measures be undertaken to ensure that school
discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity, and in
conformity with the CRC.
Towards this end, the Department of Education (DepEd), in collaboration with its
partners and stakeholders, shall ensure that all schools are conducive to the education of
children. The best interest of the child shall be the paramount consideration in all
decisions and actions involving children, whether undertaken by public or private social
welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities, and legislative bodies,
consistent with the principle of First Call for Children, as enunciated in the CRC.
Teachers and learning facilitators especially in learning centers are their substitute
parents, and are expected to discharge their functions and duties with this in mind. In
this connection, the Family Code empowers the school, its administrators and teachers,
or the individual, entity or institution engaged in child care to exercise the special
parental authority and responsibility over the child, while under their supervision,
instruction or custody.
The Department recognizes that cases of abuse may arise as a result of the difficult
situations faced by teachers and other officials within and outside school.
DepEd has adopted the policy to provide special protection to children who are gravely
threatened or endangered by circumstances which affect their normal development and
over which they have no control, and to assist the concerned agencies in their
rehabilitation.
Furthermore, this Department aims to ensure such special protection from all forms of
abuse and exploitation and care as is necessary for the child’s well-being, taking into
account the primary rights and duties of parents, legal guardians, or other individuals
who are legally responsible and exercise custody over the child. DepEd recognizes the
participatory rights of the child in the formulation and implementation of policies, and
in all proceedings affecting them, whether they be victims or aggressors, either directly,
or through a representative.
Accordingly, this Department reiterates a zero tolerance policy for any act of child
abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying and other forms of abuse, and
hereby promulgates this Department Order.
B. “Children in School” – refers to bona fide pupils, students or learners who are
enrolled in the basic education system, whether regular, irregular, transferee or
repeater, including those who have been temporarily out of school, who are in the school
or learning centers premises or participating in school-sanctioned activities.
C. “Pupil, Student or Learner” – means a child who regularly attends classes in any
level of the basic education system, under the supervision and tutelage of a teacher or
facilitator.
b. “Other School Officials” include other school officers, including teachers, who are
occupying supervisory positions or positions of responsibility, and are involved in policy
formulation or implementation in a school.
c. “Academic Personnel” includes all school personnel who are formally engaged in
actual teaching service or in research assignments, either on a full-time or a part-time
basis, as well as those who possess certain prescribed academic functions directly
supportive of teaching, such as registrars, librarians, guidance counselors, researchers,
and other similar persons. They may include school officials who are responsible for
academic matters, and other school officials.
H. “School Visitor or Guest” – refers to any person who visits the school and has
any official business with the school, and any person who does not have any official
business but is found within the premises of the school. This may include those who are
within the school premises for certain reasons, e.g. student teachers, catechists, service
providers, suppliers, bidders, parents and guardians of other children.
2) any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth
and dignity of a child as a human being;
3) unreasonable deprivation of the child’s basic needs for survival, such as food and
shelter; or
K. “Child exploitation” – refers to the use of children for someone else’s advantage,
gratification or profit often resulting in an unjust, cruel and harmful treatment of the
child. These activities disrupt the child’s normal physical or mental health, education,
moral or social emotional development. It covers situations of manipulation, misuse,
abuse, victimization, oppression or ill-treatment.
There are two (2) main forms of child exploitation that are recognized:
2) Economic exploitation – refers to the use of the child in work or other activities
for the benefit of others. Economic exploitation involves a certain gain or profit through
the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. This includes, but
is not limited to, illegal child labor, as defined in RA 9231.
1) Physical violence refers to acts that inflict bodily or physical harm. It includes
assigning children to perform tasks which are hazardous to their physical well-being.
2) Sexual violence refers to acts that are sexual in nature. It includes, but is not
limited to:
c) acts causing or attempting to cause the child to engage in any sexual activity by force,
threat of force, physical or other harm or threat of physical or other harm or coercion, or
through inducements, gifts or favors.
a. Threats to inflict a wrong upon the person, honor or property of the person or on his
or her family;
c. Taking of property;
1) Blows such as, but not limited to, beating, kicking, hitting, slapping, or lashing, of any
part of a child’s body, with or without the use of an instrument such as, but not limited
to a cane, broom, stick, whip or belt;
2) Striking of a child’s face or head, such being declared as a “no contact zone”;
3) Pulling hair, shaking, twisting joints, cutting or piercing skin, dragging, pushing or
throwing of a child;
4) Forcing a child to perform physically painful or damaging acts such as, but not
limited to, holding a weight or weights for an extended period and kneeling on stones,
salt, pebbles or other objects;
7) Tying up a child;
10) Forcing a child to wear a sign, to undress or disrobe, or to put on anything that will
make a child look or feel foolish, which belittles or humiliates the child in front of
others;
DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 4. Central Office
The DepEd Central Office shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
A. Develop a policy and guidelines for the prevention of violence against children in
schools and make these available to all schools;
C. Devise programs, campaigns and activities through the Offices of the Undersecretary
for Programs and Projects and Regional Operations, to raise consciousness, mobilize
and educate the students, parents, teachers, community, local government units and
other stakeholders in addressing child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination and
bullying; and
The data on the number and types of reports made under these guidelines, the results of
investigations undertaken to verify the details made in the complaints, the sanctions
imposed, the action taken and the interventions adopted, are to be maintained on an
annual aggregated basis.
A. Encourage and support advocacy campaigns and capability building activities on the
prevention of child abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying and other
forms of abuse, promotion of positive and non-violent discipline, conflict resolution and
peer mediation;
B. Consolidate reports on incidents and cases of the Division Offices within the Region
and submit a Regional Report (Annex “A”) to the Undersecretary for Legal and
Legislative Affairs;
C. Monitor and evaluate the implementation and enforcement of this Department Order
by the Schools Division Offices and such other related laws and regulations relative to
abuse, exploitation, violence and discrimination of children;
E. Give recommendations to the Central Office on the policies, programs, and services,
to address and prevent cases of child abuse, exploitation, violence and discrimination,
bullying and other acts of abuses, consistent with this Department Order.
C. Organize and conduct the capacity building activities for members of the Child
Protection Committee and Guidance Counselors/Teachers; including, but not limited to
the identification of students who may be suffering from significant harm based on any
physical, emotional or behavioral signs;
D. Develop strategies to address the risk factors that contribute to the commission of
acts of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, and bullying;
E. Consolidate the reports on incidents and cases of all schools and submit a Division
Report (Annex “A”) to the Regional Office;
F. Monitor and evaluate the implementation and enforcement by public and private
schools of this Department Order and such other related laws and regulations relative to
abuse, exploitation, violence and discrimination of children;
H. Give recommendations to the Regional Office and devise measures to address and
prohibit abuse, exploitation, violence and discrimination, and bullying or peer abuse of
children, consistent with this Department Order;
K. Perform such other functions, as may be assigned by the Secretary or the Regional
Director.
Section 7. – Schools
The School Heads shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
A. Ensure the institution of effective child protection policies and procedures, and
monitor compliance thereof;
C. Ensure that all pupils, students or learners, school personnel, parents, guardians or
custodians, and visitors and guests are made aware of child protection policy (Annex
“C”).
D. Organize and convene the Child Protection Committee for the school;
E. Conduct the capacity building activities for the members of the Child Protection
Committee and Guidance Counselors/Teachers;
G. Ensure that the participatory and other rights of children are respected and upheld in
all matters and procedures affecting their welfare;
H. Maintain a record of all proceedings related to bullying or peer abuse and submit
after each school year to the Division Office the report and a copy of the intake form
(Annexes “A” & “B”, respectively);
J. Ensure that the school adopts a student Code of Conduct to be followed by every
pupil, student or learner while on school grounds, or when traveling to and from school,
or during a school-sponsored activity, and during lunch period, whether on or off
campus;
K. Adopt such conflict resolution mechanisms that respect the rights of indigenous
peoples, provided that they conform to this Department Order and they uphold the
rights of the child;
L. Coordinate with the appropriate offices and other agency or instrumentality for
appropriate assistance and intervention, as may be required in the performance of its
functions;
M. Coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development or, the
appropriate government agencies or non-governmental organizations on a Child
Protection Hotline for reporting abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying
and other similar acts and for counseling;
N. Ensure that all incidents of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying and
other similar acts are addressed in accordance with the provisions of this Department
Order.
Section 8. Duties and Responsibilities of
School Personnel
Article 218 of the Family Code of the Philippines provides the following responsibilities
of school administrators, teachers, academic and nonacademic and other personnel:
A. Exercise special parental authority and responsibility over the child while under their
supervision, instruction and custody. Authority and responsibility shall apply to all
authorized activities whether inside or outside the premises of the school, entity or
institution.
Articles 220 and 233 of the Family Code of the Philippines, Presidential Decree No. 603,
and other related laws enumerated the following duties and responsibilities of the
abovementioned persons and personnel over the children under their supervision,
instruction and custody:
B. Keep them in their company and support, educate and instruct them by right precept
and good example;
C. Give them love and affection, advice and counsel, companionship and understanding;
D. Enhance, protect, preserve and maintain their physical and mental health at all
times;
E. Furnish them with good and wholesome educational materials, supervise their
activities, recreation and association with others, protect them from bad company and
prevent them from acquiring habits detrimental to their health, studies and morals;
I. Perform such other duties as are imposed by law upon them, as substitute parents or
guardians; and
J. School personnel shall also strictly comply with the school’s child protection policy.
A. Comply with the school’s regulations, as long as they are in harmony with their best
interests. Pupils, students and learners shall refrain from:
vi. Introducing into the school premises or otherwise possessing prohibited articles,
such as deadly weapons, drugs, alcohol, toxic and noxious substances, cigarettes and
pornographic material; and
vii. Performing other similar acts that cause damage or injury to another.
An allegation that any of these acts has been committed shall not be used to curtail the
child’s basic rights, or interpreted to defeat the objectives of this Department Order.
All public and private elementary and secondary schools shall establish a Child
Protection Committee (CPC).
1. Draft a school child protection policy with a code of conduct and a plan to ensure child
protection and safety, which shall be reviewed every three (3) years. The template for
the school child protection policy is attached as Annex “C”;
2. Initiate information dissemination programs and organize activities for the protection of
children from abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination and bullying or peer abuse;
3. Develop and implement a school-based referral and monitoring system. The template
for the referral system is attached as Annex “D”;
4. Establish a system for identifying students who may be suffering from significant harm
based on any physical, emotional or behavioral signs;
5. Identify, refer and, if appropriate, report to the appropriate offices cases involving child
abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination and bullying;
6. Give assistance to parents or guardians, whenever necessary in securing expert guidance
counseling from the appropriate offices or institutions;
7. Coordinate closely with the Women and Child Protection Desks of the Philippine
National Police (PNP), the Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO),
other government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as may be
appropriate;
8. Monitor the implementation of positive measures and effective procedures in providing
the necessary support for the child and for those who care for the child; and
9. Ensure that the children’s right to be heard are respected and upheld in all matters and
procedures affecting their welfare.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO
ADDRESS CHILD ABUSE,
EXPLOITATION, VIOLENCE,
DISCRIMINATION AND
BULLYING AND OTHER ACTS
OF ABUSE
Section 11. Capacity Building of School
Officials, Personnel, Parents and Students
All public and private elementary and secondary schools shall build the capacities of
school personnel, pupils, students and learners, parents and guardians to understand
and deal with child abuse, exploitation, violence and discrimination cases, bullying and
peer violence by conducting sessions, trainings and seminars on positive peer
relationships and enhancement of social and emotional competence.
They shall use training modules which include positive and nonviolent discipline in
classroom management, anger and stress management and gender sensitivity. They
shall likewise employ means which enhance the skills and pedagogy in integrating and
teaching children’s rights in the classroom.
The programs that are intended to promote Positive and Non-Violent Discipline include,
but are not limited to, the following:
b. Bullying that results in serious physical injuries or death – If the bullying or peer
abuse resulted in serious physical injuries or death, whenever appropriate, the case shall
be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9344 and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations.
c. Procedure – In all cases where the imposable penalty on the offending child is
suspension, exclusion or expulsion, the following minimum requirements of due process
shall be complied with:
(1) The child and the parents or guardians must be informed of the complaint in writing;
(2) The child shall be given the opportunity to answer the complaint in writing, with the
assistance of the parents or guardian;
(3) The decision of the school head must be in writing, stating the facts and the reasons
for the decision;
(4) The decision of the school head may be appealed, as provided in existing rules of the
Department.
1. Child abuse;
2. Discrimination against children;
3. Child Exploitation ;
4. Violence Against Children in School;
5. Corporal Punishment;
6. Any analogous or similar acts.
A. PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A. The School Head or the Schools Division Superintendent, upon receipt of the
Complaint, shall forward the same, within forty-eight (48) hours, to the Disciplining
Authority, who shall then issue an Order for the conduct of a fact-finding investigation,
not later than seventy-two (72) hours from submission. These periods shall be strictly
observed, except when justified by circumstances beyond their control; Provided, that, if
the person complained of is a nonteaching personnel, the Schools Division
Superintendent shall cause the conduct of a fact-finding investigation within the same
period.
B. If a complaint is not sufficient in form, the concerned School Head, Schools Division
Superintendent, or Disciplining Authority shall immediately inform the complainant of
the requirements of a formal complaint. Upon the filing of the formal complaint, the
same shall be acted upon pursuant to the preceding paragraphs.
If a prima facie case exists based on the Investigation Report and the records, a Formal
Charge shall be issued by the Disciplining Authority, which may be the basis for the
issuance of an Order of Preventive Suspension or as an alternative, reassignment of the
offending party, as may be warranted. The respondent may be placed under preventive
suspension pending investigation, for a period of ninety (90) days, if the injury or abuse
committed against a child is so grave, as to render the child unable to attend his or her
classes. The respondent may also be preventively suspended to preclude the possibility
of influencing or intimidating witnesses.
The respondent may file a Motion for Reconsideration with the Disciplining Authority
or may elevate the same to the Civil Service Commission by way of an Appeal within
fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof.
E.1. The Complaint shall be referred to the Committee on Decorum and Investigation.
Upon receipt of the complaint, the Committee shall require the person complained of to
submit his or her Counter-Affidavit/Comment, which shall be under oath, not later than
three (3) days from receipt of the notice, furnishing the complainant a copy thereof,
otherwise the Counter-Affidavit or Comment shall be considered as not filed.
E.2. The procedure for the conduct of an investigation and all other related incidents,
shall be in accordance with the rules under Resolution No. 01-0940 of the Civil Service
Commission; Provided, that, if the respondent is a teacher, the composition of the
Formal Investigating Committee shall be in accordance with Section 9 of R.A. 4670.
F. The Regional Directors shall periodically monitor and keep a record of all reported
child abuse cases, and submit a final consolidated regional report (Annex “A) to the
Office of the Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs and the Undersecretary for
Regional Operations.
G. Failure to submit an incident report or to render a decision involving the case within
the prescribed period, without justifiable cause, shall be a ground for administrative
action for neglect of duty against the responsible official.
H. The Office of the Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs shall compile the
regional reports and submit an annual report to the Secretary.
Section 19. Criminal and Civil Liability. Criminal and civil liability arising from child
abuse, discrimination, exploitation, and other acts of abuse are separate and distinct,
and shall not be a bar to the filing of an administrative case under these guidelines.
B. Private Schools
REFERRAL AND
ASSESSMENT OF VICTIMS
AND OFFENDERS AND OTHER
CHILDREN
Section 22. Referral and Assessment.
In all cases involving child abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying and
other acts of abuse, the CPC shall accomplish the Intake Sheet (Annex “B”). The School
Head may refer the victims and offenders in cases involving child abuse, exploitation,
discrimination, bullying or peer abuse and other acts of abuse, to the LSWDO for
assessment. The LSWDO shall determine the appropriate intervention.
The School Head, with the aid of the assigned Guidance Counselor/Teacher, and in
coordination with the LSWDO, shall immediately remove the victim, or in appropriate
cases the offender, from the place of the incident, if the victim is determined to be at
risk. The child’s family shall be informed of any action taken.
The School Head may also refer to the LSWDO other pupils, students or learners who
are victims of abuse at home, children at risk, children in especially difficult
circumstances, children with special needs or at risk, children facing difficult situations,
or those who are exhibiting signs of aggressive behavior, with a view to obtaining
professional assessment, appropriate interventions and assistance from competent
service providers.
MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS
Section 23. Duties of Private Schools
Private Schools shall be responsible for promulgating a school child protection policy,
including a policy on bullying, a protocol for reporting and procedures for handling and
management of cases, consistent with these policies and guidelines.